Friday Finds: More Money, More Problems

BPA found in cash
BPA, that ubiquitous, hormone-disrupting chemical that's made its way into everything from baby bottles to can liners, can now also be found in money, reports the San Francisco Chronicle. A study released by Safer Chemicals, Healthy Families found that 21 out of 22 $1 bills contained small amounts of BPA, which has been linked to cancer, diabetes and neurological problems. And since BPA is also found in cashier receipts, it might be time to cash in on the dollar.

EPA spooked by industrial polluter bogeymen
EPA suddenly is dragging its feet on implementing a whole host of new clean air rules, from regulations on soot and toxic emissions from industrial polluters to limitations on smog, reports Grist. The new rules, brought on by Earthjustice litigation, would cost pennies to implement compared to the billions in annual health benefits they're expected to deliver, but thanks to intense industry pressure it looks like for the time being clean air advocates will be left holding their breath.

U.S., China bullied Europe at Copenhagen climate summit
Last year's climate summit in Copenhagen was doomed to fail from the start thanks to concerted efforts by the U.S. and China to undermine any attempts to force carbon emission reductions, according to diplomatic cables released by WikiLeaks. German news organization Der Spiegel reports that the world's two biggest polluters were in collusion on stopping European nations from reaching a climate change agreement, despite both countries' assurances to the contrary.

Researchers find butter with a side of flame retardants
Researchers at the University of Texas School of Public Health recently found a stick of butter to contain high levels of PBDEs, a commonly used flame retardant, reports CNN. Though the sample size was small, the findings could have larger public health implications since PBDE exposure may cause liver toxicity, thyroid toxicity and neurodevelopmental toxicity. Hold the butter, please.